The “downhole tools” market is a significant part of the oil and gas industries and includes articles like sealing elements, gaskets, bridge plugs, frack plugs, frack balls, pipes, and others. A sub-segment of this market includes resin and fibers used in composites to make such articles. As energy exploration and other scientific pursuits of subterranean and sub-oceanic (i.e. “downhole”) exploration evolve, materials used in those tools can accumulate in the same environments being explored. Accumulation over time can alter as well as pollute that environment.
Thus, it is desired to have man-made materials that can be utilized in engineering processes but that once the intended use has ended, for the material to remain in place and remediate by natural biologic or physical mechanisms. One such example is hydraulic fracking materials left downhole in wellbores for a functionally limited period of service. These include plugs and other kinds of sealing elements that degrade after their service period.
Various features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to represent the same parts.